Thread: Any body have any experience with Coticule?

I experiment with hones and am in no way a Honologist! I have most of the common man made water stones and use them as well as the Coticules. I like the Coticules...as far as the better ( read finer and harder) ones. They have a cult following and some are worth the hype. Out of maybe 15 I retain, I have four that are terrific and 8 that are good and the rest are good in the kitchen. Each one was found in the wild so I have no idea of the technical and miners' description of the hones. It was said above that the stones may vary in grit size along the hone, that is true and also some give the feeling of cutting a LOT faster in one direction of a stroke than the other and they do! My first antique one had a hard surface with three distinct levels of grit along its 7"length.

Slurry amount and thickness is all important with them and the finish obtained is governed by proper and knowledgeable use of it.
I did not buy a new one, but the recent "select" ones I have tried were good hones!
With a comfortable smooth edge, when right on, a pleasant shave may be obtained. YMMV!
Each one is different and you and the steel will have differing results from another user of the same hone.
If they trip your trigger and you want to play, have fun!
~Richard
PS. As with any hone or combination of hones, the variables are numerous!
Steel, hone, slurry, experience, technique, lubricant, and your face when done

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

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I did not learn to hone with the few coticules I bought from those guys, @ $20.00 per copy, because having been shown to use no more than 5 x strokes, weight of the blade, "or you'll lose the edge", I didn't push the envelope further at the time.

Just to clarify, to avoid any misunderstanding, the barber who told me that was a 70 year old veteran of 50 years of pro barbering. He also told me, "You can overstrop a razor." Well coming to SRP and learning the ropes from the esteemed gentlemen who've shared their knowledge, I found that the old fellow gave me poor advice. SRP members have preved that you cannot 'overstrop' a razor, if you strop correctly, and had I pushed the envelope, and went beyond the 5 weight of the blade strokes, I might have successfully honed my razors back in the 1980s.

In the old fellow's defense, I must add that he was probably referring to touching up a shave ready edge, not bringing an antique store find to shave ready. He gave me a 5 minute demonstration when I bought a coticule from him. Most of those old guys had long since stopped doing shaves by the 1980s, so he was probably cautious as to advising me to go beyond 5 strokes seeing I was a neophyte honer.

Now I might do 150-200 strokes on a sharp razor to get it where I want it on a good coticule. Maybe a lot less, maybe more. Depends on the razor and the coticule.

The only Coti i have is the aformentioned Barber Shop stone from retired barber. I makes a nice shaving edge, but i've not examined it closely. I use it, but also use synthetics and other naturals.

Natural stones are still being mined worldwide. Coticule is simply the Belgian sort, with a very long history.

I had a hard time learning the coticule to be honest .. prob a lot cause I hadn't really mastered the art of honing any way at the time but after playing exclusively with my coticules I love the edge that come off mine and have my own technique that works for me and all my other stones collect dust ... what once was 1k-4k-8k-12k-zulu is now a 31/1x31/2 coticule to reset a bevel (fast cutter) from there progressions of slurry and x strokes on another ... I enjoy working with 1 or 2 stones much better and I feel a coolness factor while using them do to the fact that it is a natural stone pulled from the earth !!!

the only other edge that I have loved other then my coticule edges has been on a razor I got from JimmyHAD !! that thing still blows my mind !! but it came off of his top secret Escher so I just get as close as I can with my pinkish yellow coticule ...lol( im sure it has more to do with his experience on a stone )

Originally Posted by gooser

the only other edge that I have loved other then my coticule edges has been on a razor I got from JimmyHAD !! that thing still blows my mind !! but it came off of his top secret Escher so I just get as close as I can with my pinkish yellow coticule ...lol( im sure it has more to do with his experience on a stone )

That same edge by Jimmy got me to acquire HAD disease!

Now after 1 Escher, 5 turi's, two Zulus, 3 cotis, one HG and a Goukomoyo 20K (not a natural), the thirst has been quenched! I think!?

My recommendation to the OP is, get a proven stone if you can. Other wise go with proven man made stones for razors. You would save money in the long run.

Cotis are good stones as a base stone but few make the finishing cut IMO.

Double O

This thread has been an interesting read, very straight forward and factual..

I have one Coticule now, I use it as a finisher, light slurry dilute to water and done, it works very well on the older heavier Sheffield razors after a synthetic progression..
I also use it as a set up hone with slightly heavier slurry when honing Kamisori right before a Nakayama finish,, it sets up a nice hazy bevel for the Nakayama to finish off.

A arrow in the quiver, a tool in the box...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

A arrow in the quiver, a tool in the box...

Nothing to do with HAD ....... I'm sure ! .................

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Nothing to do with HAD ....... I'm sure ! .................

Hello my name I Glen, and I am a stone dust addict

Now say it with me Jimmy Muhahahaha

The only thing I had a harder time learning was my early stropping - which was more leather shredding.

The coti was something I could get to about an 8k finish, and only twice got in a respectable ballpark w/ the asagi or even a Nani 12k. They are cool rocks. I still use very regularly, but then go to other rocks for more sharpness afterwards.

You mentioned a guy that thinks they're the best thing since sliced bread. Most of us get pretty attached to our pet rocks. 'Probably because we learn that particular rock better than others - and low and behold - get better edges with them. There are precious few guys that can make a coti rival the nicer Thuris or Jnats. These guys do exist, and you have a couple of them in the London area (TattooRalphy and Gary Haywood). If you have any trouble getting your Coti do dance, I'd high-tail it to one of these guys for help. There's no substitute for face to face, hands on help.

'Hope you enjoy which ever rock you adopt.

Learning to use a coticule was not so easy for me, but when I had more confidence with the "unicot" and "dilucot" concepts it was more clear for me the value of the coticules. Also the coticule can give a smoother edge, not necessarily a sharper one, then I have to work accurately with a good strop (without paste). If I want go faster I use the chinese water stone after the coticule, but I have to work more with my strop to make it smoother. I like the "unicot" method because I can complete the honing process with just only one stone, the final touch up with the chinese stone is just an option.